Top Ten Tuesday: 7 Reasons I'm So Stoked about YA Fiction

I'm so stoked about YA fiction in today's market!  Especially within the inspirational market...and I'm about to tell you why:

1) Realism: forget sparkling vampires and warm and fuzzy werewolves--we have a host of intriguing characters and creatures to choose from today!  From weather control in "Storm Siren" by Mary Weber to fulfilling prophecy in Serena Chase's "Eyes of E'veria" duology, you can find something for just about any taste.

2) Originality: I just finished an advance copy of a novel that releases in October, and my mind?  **blown**.  Sara Ella is a new voice in publishing, but you will remember her forever.  Her debut, "Unblemished", is so carefully crafted your jaw will drop at the detail and care she takes with her world-building.  Then there's powerhouse author Jill Williamson and her "Blood of Kings" trilogy, now expanded to include 3 subsequent books...again **blown away**.

3) Length: many of today's books are over 400 pages in length (be still my heart!), which provides a lot of rich reading material.  And every page is necessary, with nothing wasted.  So prepare to block out a huge chunk of time, because you'll be playing my favorite game "Just One More", be it chapter or book or page.

4) Availability: the authors are easy to stay in contact with.  With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so many social media platforms, it's easy to find your favorite author and let her (or him) know just how much you loved the book.  And take advantage of it...this is an under-appreciated area of writing and every drop of encouragement is gratefully accepted.

5) Word of mouth: no matter if you have a blog or you haven't gotten around to starting one yet, you can leave reviews all over the internet.  Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbook.com are the usuals, but GoodReads, Facebook, publisher sites...the possibilities are endless.  And every review is gold to an author.

6) Talent: once upon a time we had stories about dragons...and maybe King Arthur.  We had Middle Earth and Narnia. Now, we have a world of Reflections, Authority City (see Rachelle Dekker's "Seer" series), and don't get me started on K.E. Ganshert's "The Gifting" trilogy.  It takes place in 'our' universe, but not really...her version is 'WOW'!

7) Price: thanks to e-books, you can try out a book by downloading the first few chapters.  Most of the time, that's enough to know the investment is worth it.  But it's possible to read 'for free' through Amazon's KindleFree program, often publishers are offering the first book for a low price, and authors are organizing launch groups you can join--for free.  Just be faithful to the commitment you make to the author.

And that's just the tip of the literary iceberg.  Need a recommendation?  I'm here.  Got a recommendation?  I'd love a comment!  Until then...

Mark Your Place,

Deena